Gradeometer



V. R. WiLL GRADEOMETER Sept. 2?, m9.

Filed July 5, 1947 O \o PERCENT 7 EGREES S 0 INVENTOR (1i c2502" R. willTTONEYS Patented Sept. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES arena GRADEOMETER VictorB. Will, Sacramento, Calif. Application July 5, 1947, Serial No. 759,045

1 Claim. 1

This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, agradeometer of novel design; the device being intended primarily for usein automobiles or trucks to indicate to the operator the degree orpercentage of a grade being traversed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gradeometer includingmeans to effect easy attachment thereof, manually and without tools, toa door or other part of a vehicle.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a gradeometer whichis simple and inexpensive to manufacture on a large scale; yet inoperation the device is reliable and trouble-proof; the economy ofmanufacture being such that an advertiser can afford to distribute thedevice as a free advertising medium.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gradeometer which iseasy to read, practical, and convenient, and one which is exceedinglyeffective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional elevation of the de vice.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device as mounted on a vehicle door foruse.

Referring now more particularly to the charactors of reference on thedrawings, the improved gracleometer comprises a flat, sheet metal plate,indicated at I, and including, at opposite ends, integral upstandingattachment fingers 2, which are flat but bendable to selectedconfiguration.

Intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof, and on the back side,the plate I is formed with an enclosed arcuate channel 3 which inclinesdownwardly from opposite ends toward the center; 1. e. is disposed withthe concave side uppermost.

The arcuate channel 3 is closed at its ends, and a free-running steelball 4 is disposed in said channel 3 for travel therealong.

Directly in front of the arcuate channel 3, in matching relationthereto, and centrally thereof, the plate I is formed with an arcuateslot 5 whereby the position of the free-running steel ball 4 in thearouate channel 3 can be seen from in front of the device.

The plate i is scribed or imprinted on its face and above and below thearcuate slot 5 with scales, indicated at 6 and l; the scale 6 reading indegrees of grade, whereas the scale centage of grade.

When the device is in use it is attached to a part of a vehicle, such asthe door, with the channel 3 extending lengthwise of the direction oftravel and adjusted so that when the vehicle is on the level the steelball 4 reads on the zero point of the scales 6 or 1.

Attachment of the device, as above, can be easily accomplished by hand,and without the necessity of tools, by merely bending the attachmentfingers 2 to matchingly engage in hookedover relation with thesupporting part of the vehicle. For example, in Fig. 3 the device isshown attached to a car door 8 by bending the fingers 2 over the top ofsuch door in the manner shown at 9.

With the device thus mounted on the vehicle, the degrees or percentageof grade can be readily ascertained by merely reading the position ofthe free running steel ball 4 on the corresponding scale; the arcuateslot 5 being of sufficient width to permit the steel ball 4 to be seen,but of lesser Width than the diameter of such ball so that the lattercannot escape through said slot.

By reason of its simplicity the device can be manufactured veryeconomically; it thus being an excellent medium which advertisers canafiord to purchase and distribute'free. The plate I above thegradeometer assembly provides an adequate space for the addition ofadvertising matter.

Though the device is very simple in its structural arrangement, itprovides a practical, accurate, and foolproof means for theascertainment of the grade which a vehicle may be traversmg.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do notform a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

A gradeometer comprising a piece of relatively thin bendable sheet metalblanked out to form a face plate and a pair of upstanding spaced apartrelatively narrow attachment fingers, the face plate being provided withan arcuate slot, there being a grade scale scribed on the plate adjacent1 reads in per- 3 4 the slot, a separate arcuate channel member affixedto the back of the plate and opening into UNITED STATES PATENTS theslot, and a, free rolling ball in the channel, Number Name Date thediameter of the ball being greater than the 466,380 Spencer Jan. 5, 1892width of the slot. 5 1,612,843 Timmis Jan. 4, 1927 VICTOR R. WILL.2,154,678 Hawthorne Apr. 18, 1939 2,168,885 Rickenbach et a1. Aug. 8,1939 REFERENCES CITED 2,357,817 Foster -1 Sept. 12, 1944 The followingreferences are of reccrd in the file of this patent: 10

